Fun Facts & Figures of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

The 92nd annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will take place on Thursday, November 22, 2018.

I am sure you are eager to witness the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2018…

I am sure you all might also be interested in knowing some Fun Facts & Figures about Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Fun Facts & Figures of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade :

The First Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was held in 1924. At the time the parade was known as the “Macy’s Christmas Parade.”

Since 1924, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has been taking place every year, except for the year 1942, 1943 and 1944 when the parade was suspended due to World War II.

The first parade in 1924 looked more like a circus because it featured a menagerie of animals including monkeys, bears, camels and elephants borrowed from the Central Park Zoo.

From 1927 on wards, the live animals were out and they were replaced by inflatable balloons. In 1927 the parade’s signature giant helium balloons made their debut with Felix the Cat leading the way. He was joined by a flying dragon, elephant and toy soldier.

Santa Claus has ended the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade every year with the exception of 1933 – the only year when he led the Parade.

From 1927 to 1932 the Balloons were intentionally release the enormous inflatable characters into the sky after the parade. But this practice was discontinued after a balloon released after the 1932 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade “wrapped itself around a passing airplane’s wing, sending it into a tailspin,” according to TIME magazine.

When the first parade was held in 1924, the route stretched nearly 6 miles. Over the years, the parade route has been substantially downsized. Currently the total length of the Macy’s Parade Route is around 2.5-mile and it takes around 90 minutes for the parade to walk the this route.

Thanks to the giant Helium Balloons, Macy’s is the world’s second largest consumer of helium, behind the United States government.

The first Mickey Mouse balloon entered the parade in 1934.

Since 1968, there have been seven different Snoopy balloons in the parade’s history, the most for any one character.

More than 10,000 people participate in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. They include balloon handlers, float escorts, clowns, marching bands, cheerleaders, dance groups and other performers.

Over the years, more than 50,000 clowns have delighted millions of children along the parade route.

Since 1924, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has been taking place every year, except for the year 1942, 1943 and 1944 when the parade was suspended due to World War II.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was first broadcast nationwide in 1948 by NBC.

More than 3.5 million spectators line the streets of New York City each year and more than 50 million viewers tune in nationwide to watch Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.